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Friday, September 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible in Basic English

Jeremiah 30:6

Put the question and see if it is possible for a man to have birth-pains: why do I see every man with his hands gripping his sides, as a woman does when the pains of birth are on her, and all faces are turned green?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Birth;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Scofield Reference Index - Tribulation;   The Topic Concordance - Israel/jews;   Salvation;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Color, Symbolic Meaning of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Birth;   Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Jeremiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Millennium;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Loins;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mildew;   Pain;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Color;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Ask and seewhether a male can give birth.Why then do I see every manwith his hands on his stomach like a woman in laborand every face turned pale?
Hebrew Names Version
Ask now, and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
King James Version
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
English Standard Version
Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?
New American Standard Bible
'Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his waist, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale?
New Century Version
Ask this question, and consider it: A man cannot have a baby. So why do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain like a woman having a baby? Why is everyone's face turning white like a dead man's face?
Amplified Bible
'Ask now, and see Whether a man can give birth [to a child]. Why then do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in labor? Why have all faces turned pale?
World English Bible
Ask now, and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Demand now and beholde, if man trauayle with childe? wherefore doe I beholde euery man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauaile, and all faces are turned into a palenesse?
Legacy Standard Bible
Ask now, and seeIf a male can give birth.Why do I see every manWith his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?And why have all faces turned pale?
Berean Standard Bible
Ask and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?
Contemporary English Version
Can men give birth? Then why do I see them looking so pale and clutching their stomachs like women in labor?
Complete Jewish Bible
Ask now and see: can men give birth to children? Why, then, do I see all the men with their hands on their stomachs like women in labor, with every face turned pale?
Darby Translation
Ask ye now, and see, whether a male doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail; and all faces are turned into paleness?
Easy-to-Read Version
"Ask this question and consider it: Can a man have a baby? Of course not! Then why do I see every strong man holding his stomach like a woman having labor pains? Why is everyone's face turning white like a dead man?
George Lamsa Translation
Ask now and see: Can a male bear a child? Wherefore do I observe every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in travail, and all faces turned into paleness?
Good News Translation
Now stop and think! Can a man give birth to a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why is everyone so pale?
Lexham English Bible
Ask please and see whether a male can bear a child. Why do I see every strong man with his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth? And why are all their faces changed to paleness?
Literal Translation
Ask now and see whether a male is giving birth? Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman giving birth, and all faces are turned to paleness?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For what els doth this signifie, that I se? Namely, that all stronge men smyte, euery man his honde vpon his loynes, as a woman in the payne of hir trauayle. Who euer sawe a man trauayle with childe? Enquere therafter, & se. Yee all their faces are maruelous pale.
American Standard Version
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child; wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
King James Version (1611)
Aske yee now and see whether a man doeth trauaile with child? Wherefore doe I see euery man with his handes on his loynes, as a woman in trauaile, and all faces are turned into palenesse?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For what els doth this signifie that I see? [Namely] that all strong men smite euery man his hande vpon his loynes, as a woman in the payne of her trauayle: Who euer sawe a man trauayle with childe? Enquire therafter and see, yea all their faces are marueylous pale.
English Revised Version
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Axe ye, and se, if a male berith child; whi therfor siy Y the hond of ech man on his leende, as of a womman trauelynge of child, and alle faces ben turned in to yelow colour?
Update Bible Version
Ask now, and see whether a man travails with child: why do I see every [able-bodied] man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces have turned pale?
Webster's Bible Translation
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
New English Translation
Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale?
New King James Version
Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?
New Living Translation
Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like a woman in labor?
New Life Bible
Ask now and see, can a man give birth to a child? Why do I see every man with his hands on his body like a woman giving birth? Why have all faces turned white?
New Revised Standard
Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ask, I pray you, and see, whether a male travaileth with child! Why have I seen Every man with his hands upon his loins like a woman in travail, and Every face turned into ghastliness?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ask ye, and see if a man bear children? why then have I seen every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in labour, and all faces are turned yellow?
Revised Standard Version
Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?
Young's Literal Translation
Ask, I pray you, and see, is a male bringing forth? Wherefore have I seen every man, His hands on his loins, as a travailing woman, And all faces have been turned to paleness?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale?

Contextual Overview

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, Put down in a book all the words which I have said to you. 3 For see, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will let the fate of my people Israel and Judah be changed, says the Lord: and I will make them come back to the land which I gave to their fathers, so that they may take it for their heritage. 4 And these are the words which the Lord said about Israel and about Judah. 5 This is what the Lord has said: A voice of shaking fear has come to our ears, of fear and not of peace. 6 Put the question and see if it is possible for a man to have birth-pains: why do I see every man with his hands gripping his sides, as a woman does when the pains of birth are on her, and all faces are turned green? 7 Ha! for that day is so great that there is no day like it: it is the time of Jacob's trouble: but he will get salvation from it. 8 For it will come about on that day, says the Lord of armies, that his yoke will be broken off his neck, and his bands will be burst; and men of strange lands will no longer make use of him as their servant: 9 But they will be servants to the Lord their God and to David their king, whom I will give back to them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a man: Heb. a male

every: Jeremiah 4:31, Jeremiah 6:24, Jeremiah 13:21, Jeremiah 22:23, Jeremiah 49:24, Jeremiah 50:43, Psalms 48:6, Isaiah 13:6-9, Isaiah 21:3, Daniel 5:6, Hosea 13:13, Micah 4:9, Micah 4:10, John 16:21, John 16:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:3

paleness: Isaiah 29:22, Joel 2:6, Nahum 2:10

Reciprocal: Psalms 69:23 - make their Isaiah 8:22 - look Isaiah 13:8 - pangs Isaiah 26:17 - General Jeremiah 48:41 - as the heart Jeremiah 49:22 - the heart of the Ezekiel 21:6 - with the Daniel 5:9 - changed

Cross-References

Genesis 30:14
Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.
Genesis 30:16
In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.
Genesis 30:17
And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.
Genesis 30:20
And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.
Genesis 30:32
Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.
Genesis 30:35
So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;
Genesis 35:25
The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali;
Genesis 46:23
And the son of Dan was Hushim.
Deuteronomy 33:22
And of Dan he said, Dan is a young lion, springing out from Bashan.
Psalms 35:24
Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad over me.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child?.... Look into the histories of former times, inquire of those most versed in them, whether ever there was such a thing in the world as that a man should travail with child; ask one and, another you see in distress, whether that is their case or not, which looks so much like it; and since there never was such an instance, nor is it possible that there should:

wherefore do I see every man with his hands his loins, as a woman in travail; the usual posture of women in such a condition, trying hereby to abate their pain, and ease themselves. This metaphor is made use of, both to express the sharpness and shortness of this distress; as the pains of a woman in travail are very sharp, yet short, and, when over, quickly forgotten; and so it wilt be at this time; it will be a sharp trial of the church and people of God; but it will last but for a short time; and the joy and happy times that will follow will soon cause it to be forgotten:

and all faces are turned into paleness? at the departure of the blood, through fear and trembling. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it "the yellow jaundice"; their faces were of the colour of such persons that have that disease upon them; or, as others, the green sickness. Some render it, "the king's evil" q.

q לירקון "in speciem morbi regii", Junius Tremellius "in morbum regium", Piscator.


 
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